TY - JOUR

T1 - The utility of macroecological rules for microbial biogeography

AU - Dickey, Jonathan R.

AU - Swenie, Rachel A.

AU - Turner, Sophia

AU - Winfrey, Claire C.

AU - Yaffar, Daniela

AU - Padukone, Anchal

AU - Beals, Kendall K.

AU - Sheldon, Kimberly S.

AU - Kivlin, Stephanie N.

PY - 2021/4/1

Y1 - 2021/4/1

N2 - Macroecological rules have been developed for plants and animals that describe large-scale distributional patterns and attempt to explain the underlying physiological and ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit patterns in relative abundance, distribution, diversity, and traits across space and time, yet it remains unclear the extent to which microorganisms follow macroecological rules initially developed for macroorganisms. Additionally, the usefulness of these rules as a null hypothesis when surveying microorganisms has yet to be fully evaluated. With rapid advancements in sequencing technology, we have seen a recent increase in microbial studies that utilize macroecological frameworks. Here, we review and synthesize these macroecological microbial studies with two main objectives: (1) to determine to what extent macroecological rules explain the distribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms, and (2) to understand which environmental factors and stochastic processes may explain these patterns among microbial clades (archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists) and habitats (host-associated and free living; terrestrial and aquatic). Overall, 78% of microbial macroecology studies focused on free living, aquatic organisms. In addition, most studies examined macroecological rules at the community level with only 35% of studies surveying organismal patterns across space. At the community level microorganisms often tracked patterns of macroorganisms for island biogeography (74% confirm) but rarely followed Latitudinal Diversity Gradients (LDGs) of macroorganisms (only 32% confirm). However, when microorganisms and macroorganisms shared the same macroecological patterns, underlying environmental drivers (e.g., temperature) were the same. Because we found a lack of studies for many microbial groups and habitats, we conclude our review by outlining several outstanding questions and creating recommendations for future studies in microbial ecology.

AB - Macroecological rules have been developed for plants and animals that describe large-scale distributional patterns and attempt to explain the underlying physiological and ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit patterns in relative abundance, distribution, diversity, and traits across space and time, yet it remains unclear the extent to which microorganisms follow macroecological rules initially developed for macroorganisms. Additionally, the usefulness of these rules as a null hypothesis when surveying microorganisms has yet to be fully evaluated. With rapid advancements in sequencing technology, we have seen a recent increase in microbial studies that utilize macroecological frameworks. Here, we review and synthesize these macroecological microbial studies with two main objectives: (1) to determine to what extent macroecological rules explain the distribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms, and (2) to understand which environmental factors and stochastic processes may explain these patterns among microbial clades (archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists) and habitats (host-associated and free living; terrestrial and aquatic). Overall, 78% of microbial macroecology studies focused on free living, aquatic organisms. In addition, most studies examined macroecological rules at the community level with only 35% of studies surveying organismal patterns across space. At the community level microorganisms often tracked patterns of macroorganisms for island biogeography (74% confirm) but rarely followed Latitudinal Diversity Gradients (LDGs) of macroorganisms (only 32% confirm). However, when microorganisms and macroorganisms shared the same macroecological patterns, underlying environmental drivers (e.g., temperature) were the same. Because we found a lack of studies for many microbial groups and habitats, we conclude our review by outlining several outstanding questions and creating recommendations for future studies in microbial ecology.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - microorganisms

KW - Rapoport's rule

KW - abundance/occupancy

KW - Bergmann's rule

KW - Theory of Island Biogeography

KW - latitudinal diversity gradient

KW - macroecology

KW - microorganisms

KW - Rapoport's rule

KW - abundance/occupancy

KW - Bergmann's rule

KW - Theory of Island Biogeography

KW - Species-Area Relationship

KW - latitudinal diversity gradient

KW - macroecology

U2 - 10.3389/fevo.2021.633155

DO - 10.3389/fevo.2021.633155

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 9

JO - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

SN - 2296-701X

M1 - 633155

ER -